UTA modifying fatal TRAX crossing

Comments

The overpasses are overkill and very costly for the taxpayers to foot the bill
when there is a much simpler repair available to them. All they have to do is
put horns, whistles, flashing warning lights on the trains. It would be much
cheaper for horns on 20 engines than multimillion dollar overpasses that will
not serve the impaired and handicapped or vehicle victims. This is another
bandaid fix by SLC and UTA.

UTA and many city officials have
endangered citizens by joint compromise in an effort to minimize noise from
trains and UTA took this opportunity to include horns, whistles, minimal
insufficient braking and warning lights on trains. The joint noise venture calls
these agreements as quite zones that offers anyone nearing a rail line no
warning.

Vehicles are required to have lights, horns, and braking as
warning devices to warn pedestrians and bikers and impaired and handicapped of
the cars presence. A change and oversight in rail laws should also designate
train and vehicle compatible regulations. The DMV is not equipped with rail
experts and rail operating standards so an independent rail agency should be
created in Utah.

My2CentsTaylorsville, UT

March 29, 2013 5:30 a.m.

Its about time they admitted there is a serious problem with Utah's rail
and safety record as I have been harping on this issue for the last 5 years to
the federal rail safety. But it turns out that the federal government laws and
regulations and jurisdiction does not apply to city rail service, and UTA/TRAX
knew this and used this loophole in rail laws to ignore vehicle and pedestrian
safety standards.

Now that the loophole has been recognized and
admitted, its time for some state legislation and oversight of passenger rail
service for safety, inspection, accident investigation, and compliance in and
between cities in the state. We have to have these services as a state
controlled oversight so some CEO down the road can't decide to remove or
change their minds about rail safety.

Why should TRAX/UTA be allowed
to investigate itself in all these rail accidents? Its like putting the fox in
the hen house then blame the chickens for letting the fox kill them. So we do
need an independent state rail safety laws and statutes as the UTA and SLC
expand across many county and city boundaries.